Jaime Pardo Lugo

Jaime Pardo Lugo

July 5, 1930-Nov. 19, 2025

Jaime Pardo Lugo was devoted to many things — the Air Force he served for 20 years, the New York Yankees he followed since age 16, the art of photography, and the pleasure of telling a story so well that it left everyone laughing. But above all, he was dedicated to his beloved wife Virginia, his children, stepchildren, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his native island of Puerto Rico.

Jaime passed away on Nov. 19, 2025, just six months after losing his dear wife. His life was one of difficult challenges and extraordinary adventures, but throughout it all, he valued laughter, family, and the joy of making new friends.

Jaime’s personality filled the room. He pulled hundreds of stories from his razor-sharp memory, always with a humorous ending. Ask Jaime for a weather forecast and he would reply, “Chilly today, tamales tomorrow.” A phone call or text didn’t conclude with goodbye – his sign-off was “10-4.”

If you were visiting or getting ready to leave, he’d ask if you needed “any funds.” Then, he would slip you a $100 bill. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball and could recite the full biography of nearly every Major League player from Puerto Rico or elsewhere across the Caribbean. Put him in a crowd of people, and he would find a new acquaintance – and often discover a fellow islander.

Jaime was born in Puerto Rico, near Lajas, on July 5, 1930. His mother was Isabel Lugo, and his father was Domingo Isaac Pardo. His birthday wasn’t officially recorded by local authorities until Oct. 20, 1930 – or as Jaime always recited, “10-20-30.”

Growing up in Lajas, Jaime’s adventurous streak was evident. He recalled working part-time at a local pool hall during his early teens. One job was to stand guard outside the front door and alert the gamblers inside if the police were coming. Jaime remembered the owner paying him 25 cents, which was enough for a ticket to a motion-picture show. A side benefit was the exceptional billiard skills he acquired and retained throughout life.

Jaime went to public school in Lajas until ninth grade, but the high school he attended was private, operated by Catholic nuns. Jaime remembered cutting class one Friday afternoon so he and a few friends could see a famous Mexican film actress who was making an appearance at City Hall in nearby San German. It was an “amazing experience,” he later recalled, right up until the moment he saw a nun

– his teacher – pass by in a car. She locked eyes with him, pointed her finger, and wordlessly promised there would be a price to pay on Monday.

The price turned out to be an assignment to learn the Ave Maria (Hail Mary) and El Padre Nuestro (Lord’s Prayer) in English. Jaime never completed the memorization, and his time with the nuns soon ended. Rather than finish high school, Jaime made a different leap of faith – a life-changing journey to New York City.

On Aug. 9, 1946, it was a typical Friday in San Juan with highs in the upper 80s. Barely a month after turning 16, Jaime boarded the Marine Tiger, a former troop-transport ship from World War II that had been converted to carry passengers. Jaime was traveling solo, but he was one of 900 people making the voyage from Puerto Rico to New York – part of the great postwar migration to the mainland.

When the Marine Tiger moved into ocean waters, Jaime recalled, seasick passengers rushed to the railings. Food and restroom lines stretched long, and the beds were mere bunks. After three nights on the water, Jaime arrived on Monday, Aug. 12, to a warm summer day in New York. He headed to West 106th Street to live with his Aunt Ana.

In New York, Jaime met Virginia and began a relationship that lasted more than 75 years. It was also in New York where Jaime got his first experience working in a photo lab and his first tickets to see the Yankees play.

But in 1951, during the Korean War, the U.S. Army drafted Jaime. After basic training in Arkansas, he was sent to Alaska, expecting his unit to be deployed to Korea. The deployment never happened, and Jaime completed his two-year stint on U.S. soil.

Following his Army service, Jaime returned to New York, where Virginia was waiting for him. It wasn’t long, though, before he joined the U.S. Air Force, launching a 20-year career that took him, Virginia and their family to bases in New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, Japan, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Along the way, Jaime was assigned again to Alaska. Then, during the Vietnam War, he was deployed to Thailand, working as a lab tech to develop images taken during surveillance flights over Vietnam.

Jaime achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant, and his photography skills were put to good use. He photographed dignitaries, including former First Lady Patricia Nixon and Gen. William Westmoreland.

Off duty — and later in retirement — he took thousands of photos, steadfastly shooting film until digital photography became unavoidable. Baseball icons were another favorite subject, including pictures of the great Dizzy Dean. But his most prized models were Virginia and the children, who can be seen posing in front of many of the sites they encountered in their travels.

When Jaime retired from the Air Force in the 1970s, he and Virginia settled again in Puerto Rico, where they lived in Ponce and then Isabela. Jaime obtained his bachelor’s degree and continued his photo work before fully retiring. After that, Jaime and Virginia traveled to see their children, grandchildren, and other relatives, now scattered around the United States.

In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, knocking out communications. Days and weeks passed before Jaime and Virginia were able to let their family know they were safe. After the storm, they moved to Converse, Texas, and then to Cibolo, Texas, where they spent their final years close to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Jaime and Virginia had three children together, and Jaime was a beloved stepfather to Virginia’s four children from a previous marriage. Together, they had 20 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren.

Jaime is preceded in death by his parents, and by 11 brothers and sisters: Nereida, Candida, Onelia, Aurea, Dominga, Edith, Agueda, Monserate, Luis, Carmen, and most recently, his youngest brother, Nicolas “Junior” Lugo.

Jaime is also preceded in death by two of his stepchildren, Jose Alberto Sanchez and Noemi Sanchez.

He is survived by two siblings: his sister Lillian Perez and brother Salvador Lugo. He is also survived by his three children — daughter Aida E. Pardo (Ernie Rivera), daughter Janet Pardo (Mark Garber), and son Jaime L. Pardo — and by stepchildren Hector Manuel Sanchez (Donna) and Carmen Sanchez. In addition, he is survived by 19 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren.

A service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, at Schertz Funeral Home, with viewing at 10:30 a.m.

Burial will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, where his cherished Virginia is also at rest.